Clean coal-preparation barriers in Poland

Poland is the second biggest European producer of hard coal. This raw product is cleaned in 49 preparation plants. Production capacities of the preparation plants depend on the demand for coal. The clean-coal production mostly depends on the quality demands of customers. Polish hard-coal is of good quality. It is enough to remove grains of clean stone to get saleable products of ash content between 8 and 12%. Rarely the ash content is up to 15%. The coal can be cleaned to 4–6% ash content, but there is a very small demand for this type of coal. Gravity separation (via heavy liquids, jigs, cyclones) removes the grains of pure stone. Currently, no preparation of the coal after grinding is conducted.     

Coal mining industry restructuring in Poland: implications for the domestic and international coal markets

The paper describes the efforts to improve the profitability of the Polish hard-coal industry. The experience of seven years of restructuring programmes shows that the industry has to reduce the number of existing coal mines. Coal production in Poland will decrease and coal will no longer be the cheap source of energy. The final shape of hard-coal industry will force the change in energy balance of Poland and will change the position of Polish coal in the international coal market.     

Communications on energy What if the Sizewell PWR is not built?

The public inquiry in the UK into the proposed PWR at Sizewell will start in January 1983. Assuming the PWR is not recommended, the author discusses the possible consequences. Under conditions of a ‘creeping moratorium’, Gordon Mackerron suggests the possible effects on electricity supply and prices, coal supply and prices and the nuclear industry in the UK.     

Dynamic steam coal market integration: Evidence from rolling cointegration analysis

The aim of the paper is twofold: first, to assess the dynamics of the integration process of the international steam coal prices and, second, to investigate the changes in the roles of particular coal prices in this market in the light of changes in the structure of supply and demand. The analysis is based on steam coal prices set by the largest world exporters and importers on both the Atlantic and the Pacific markets. We use weekly data spanning from October 5, 2001 to March 28, 2014. The aim is achieved in two stages. During the first one, we use the rolling trace test to identify the integration of the steam coal market, and during the second one, we apply the rolling weak exogeneity test to determine the roles of the participants of the international steam coal market, namely price setters and price takers. Our main findings can be summarized in two observations. Firstly, the main world steam coal prices are integrated and during the period when freight costs are higher, the coal market integration is weaker, and when the costs are lower, the integration is stronger. Secondly, the role of particular coal prices is not stable in time. Generally, price setters appear in the market which covers greater shares in the physical coal trade. Although Indonesia and Russia have a great share in the global export, their prices remain price takers during the whole period. As a consequence, although Russia remains the largest coal exporter of the steam coal to the European market, it cannot dictate its prices in this market.     

Efficiency aspects of electric utility coal operations

Ownership of reserves and production of coal by electric utilities presents special problems for the agencies charged with regulating these utilities. The regulatory bodies have employed various methods to prevent the utilities earning monopoly profits on their downstream coal operations. This paper uses a linear regression model to explore price and productivity differences between utility-owned coal and independent coal mines. Differences between utility-owned coal mines based on the method of regulation are also examined. The results indicate that utility-owned coal mines tend to have lower productivity and higher prices relative to independent mines. It appears that this inefficiency results from the regulation per se rather than the method of regulation to which the utility is subject.     

Modelling adaptation of the coal industry to sustainability conditions

Fossil fuels still constitute an important source of energy in the world, but they need to comply with more strict environmental requirements. The coal industry, the basic primary energy supplier to the Polish economy, not only faces new environmental regulations but also restructuring and changes in the industry's organisational structure. The issues of primary importance are the medium and long-term prospects of achieving a suitable quantity and quality of coal supplied, as well as suitable costs. The structure of power generation needs to adjust to emissions limits with given fuel supplies. The paper discusses the construction of a coal supply balancing system which has been developed and applied as a decision support for rational planning of the development of the Polish coal industry. It consists of two linked groups of models: coal supply and coal balancing. Such a structure allows it to respond to the problems emerging for the most part from new environmental regulations, and to select policies that will lead to sustainability in the industry.     

Growing Chinese coal use: Dramatic resource and environmental implications

Chinese coal consumption continues to rise as the country's economy and industry expand. Coal is particularly critical for China's fast-growing power sector, generating about 80% of electricity output. Notwithstanding the importance of coal and electricity, many international forecasts today underestimate their rising use in China. This paper acknowledges the current world financial crisis and assumes that Chinese GDP growth to 2025 will not again approach double-digit levels. Using the scenario analysis, this paper demonstrates that even with conservative assumptions about Chinese GDP growth and income elasticity of electric demand to 2025, the country will likely experience much higher coal demand and emit much greater volumes of carbon dioxide than forecast by various international energy agencies. The paper also analyzes how China's domestic coal reserves may be threatened within two decades, possibly affecting long-term economic growth in China, as well as world coal prices.     

Dynamic simulation model of a coal thermoelectric plant with a flue gas desulphurisation system

In this paper a Dynamic Simulation Model has been used to present the likely responses of the electricity industries’ latest perturbations such as: changes in environmental regulations, international fuel market evolution, restriction on fuel supply and increase on fuel prices, liberalisation of the European Electricity Market, and the results of applying energy policies and official tools such as taxes and emission allowances.

The case under study refers to the Teruel Power Plant, built after the 1970s oil crisis to ensure national electricity supply; burning domestically produced coal in order to ensure local mining activity. The Teruel Power Plant has made relevant investments in order to meet emission limits, such as a Flue Gas Desulphurisation Plant. The economic viability of the power stations has to be analysed after environmental costs have been internalised.

A system is defined that studies the coal-firing Electric Power Plant selling energy to the free electricity market, whenever the generation cost is competitive. A Dynamic Simulation Model would appear to be an accurate tool to optimise power station management within different frameworks.     

A long-term view of worldwide fossil fuel prices

This paper reviews a long-term trend of worldwide fossil fuel prices in the future by introducing a new method to forecast oil, natural gas and coal prices. The first section of this study analyses the global fossil fuel market and the historical trend of real and nominal fossil fuel prices from 1950 to 2008. Historical fossil fuel price analysis shows that coal prices are decreasing, while natural gas prices are increasing. The second section reviews previously available price modelling techniques and proposes a new comprehensive version of the long-term trend reverting jump and dip diffusion model. The third section uses the new model to forecast fossil fuel prices in nominal and real terms from 2009 to 2018. The new model follows the extrapolation of the historical sinusoidal trend of nominal and real fossil fuel prices. The historical trends show an increase in nominal/real oil and natural gas prices plus nominal coal prices, as well as a decrease in real coal prices. Furthermore, the new model forecasts that oil, natural gas and coal will stay in jump for the next couple of years and after that they will revert back to the long-term trend until 2018.     

The coal question that emissions trading has not answered

Can emissions trading assist with the task of placing a limit on coal production and consumption in Australia? This paper outlines a critical political economy perspective on coal and a flagship ‘market mechanism’ for emissions reduction. The prospects for an effective emissions trading scheme in coal-dominated economies are considered in light of its theoretical justifications as well as recent attempts to price carbon in Australia. Emissions trading is a weak instrument that does not address real-world failures of coal governance. At their theoretical best, carbon prices produce marginal changes to the cost structure of production. In practice, the Australian case demonstrates emissions trading is an attempt to displace the emissions reduction task away from coal, through compensation arrangements and offsetting. In light of the urgent need to rapidly reduce global emissions, direct regulation and democratisation of coal production and consumption should be flagship climate policy.     

建立我国煤炭价格指数的理论设计与探讨

煤炭在我国国民经济发展和国家能源安全保障方面都有着十分重要的战略作用和地位。无论从国际定价权,还是从国内宏观调控的角度出发,目前急需要建立一套能够真实反映煤炭市场状况和未来走势的“煤炭价格指数”。本文以电煤为例,初步设计和建立一套煤炭价格指数的计算原则和方法,并指出了建立煤炭价格指数的关键所在。     

The future challenges for “clean coal technologies”: Joining efficiency increase and pollutant emission control

Coal offers an abundant widely spread fossil energy resource. It is available at a quite-stable price from many international suppliers and it will continue to play a significant role in new generating capacity, if security and diversity of supply remain fundamental. In this paper we point out the state of the art in the field of “clean coal technologies” evidencing the perspectives of improvement and the critical elements. Both the emission control of NO_x, SO_x, and particle matter and the advanced coal conversion pathways like ultra-supercritical (USC), pressurized fluidized bed combustion (PFBC), and integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) are reviewed and analyzed. At the end some elements concerning the perspectives of CO₂ emission control strategies are outlined.     

国际市场煤炭与石油价格相关性研究

煤炭消费增长与我国国民经济增长速度关系密切,2011年以来中国连续成为全球最大煤炭进口国,2013年煤炭进口量达到3.3×108t。国内煤炭价格日益受到国际市场煤炭价格的影响,两者之间的联系愈发紧密。而国际市场上煤炭价格与石油价格的波动具有较强的一致性。通过对煤炭价格和石油价格的相互影响机制进行定性分析、相关性分析以及回归分析,证实煤炭价格与石油价格之间存在显著的正相关关系,石油价格上涨或下跌1%则煤炭价格上涨或下跌0.3654%,石油价格的变化可以解释煤炭价格约18%的变动。煤炭与石油互为能源替代品,石油价格通过替代效应和影响宏观经济来直接、间接地影响煤炭价格。过高的石油价格会使消费者选用相对便宜的煤炭,改变市场供求从而拉高煤炭价格,使两者价格趋向于一致。鉴于外界预测2014年全球石油价格将维持在目前的较高水平,考虑到煤炭与石油价格的正相关性,据此判断国际市场煤炭价格也将保持在现有水平,并随石油价格小幅波动。由于国内外煤炭品质及价格存在差异,因此国内煤炭价格将继续承受下行压力,并逐步向国际市场煤价靠拢。     

The German experience with grid-connected PV-systems

Grid-connected photovoltaics experienced increasing attention in Germany in recent years and are expected to face a major boost at the beginning of the new millennium. Highlights like the German 100,000-Roofs-Solar-Programme, PV programmes at schools financed by utilities and governments (e.g. ‘SONNEonline’ by PreussenElektra, ‘Sonne in der Schule’ by BMWi and ‘Sonne in der Schule’ by Bayernwerk) and large centralised installations of MW size (‘Neue Messe München’ by Bayernwerk and ‘Energiepark Mont-Cenis’ by state Nordrhein-Westfalen, Stadtwerke Herne and European Union) count for the potential of grid-connected PV. Today in Germany a typical grid-connected PV installation of 1 kW nominal power produces average annual energy yields of 700 kWh (dependent on location and system components) and shows a high operating availability. The price per kWh from PV installations is still significantly higher than the price for conventional energy, but new funding schemes and cost models (like the large increase of feed-in tariff in Germany due to the Act on Granting Priority to Renewable Energy Sources in 2000) give optimism about the future.     

The long-term life cycle private and external costs of high coal usage in the US

Using four times as much coal in 2050 for electricity production need not degrade air quality or increase greenhouse gas emissions. Current SO_x and NO_x emissions from the power sector could be reduced from 12 to less than 1 and from 5 to 2 million tons annually, respectively, using advanced technology. While direct CO₂ emissions from new power plants could be reduced by over 87%, life cycle emissions could increase by over 25% due to the additional coal that is required to be mined and transported to compensate for the energy penalty of the carbon capture and storage technology. Strict environmental controls push capital costs of pulverized coal (PC) and integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants to $1500–1700/kW and $1600–2000/kW, respectively. Adding carbon capture and storage (CCS) increases costs to $2400–2700/kW and $2100–3000/kW (2005 dollars), respectively. Adding CCS reduces the 40–43% efficiency of the ultra-supercritical PC plant to 31–34%; adding CCS reduces the 32–38% efficiency of the GE IGCC plant to 27–33%. For IGCC, PC, and natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plants, the carbon dioxide tax would have to be $53, $74, and $61, respectively, to make electricity from a plant with CCS cheaper. Capturing and storing 90% of the CO₂ emissions increases life cycle costs from 5.4 to 11.6 cents/kWh. This analysis shows that 90% CCS removal efficiency, although being a large improvement over current electricity generation emissions, results in life cycle emissions that are large enough that additional effort is required to achieve significant economy-wide reductions in the US for this large increase in electricity generation using either coal or natural gas.     

Correlation between Chinese and international energy prices based on a HP filter and time difference analysis

To establish a reasonable system and mechanism for Chinese energy prices, we use the Granger causality test, Hodrick–Prescott (HP) filter and time difference analysis to research the pricing relationship between Chinese and international energy prices. We find that Chinese and international crude oil prices changed synchronously while Chinese refined oil prices follow the changes of international oil prices with the time difference being about 1 month to 2 months. Further, Australian coal prices Granger causes Chinese coal prices, and there is a high correlation between them. The U.S. electricity price is influenced by the WTI crude oil price, the U.S. gasoline price and the HenryHub gas price. Due to the unreasonable price-setting mechanism and regulation from the central government, China′s terminal market prices for both electricity and natural gas do not reflect the real supply–demand situation. This paper provides quantitative results on the correlation between Chinese and international energy prices to better predict the impact of international energy price fluctuations on China′s domestic energy supply and guide the design of more efficient energy pricing policies. Moreover, it provides references for developing countries to improve their energy market systems and trading, and to coordinate domestic and international energy markets.     

Cofiring coal and dairy biomass in a 29 kWt furnace

Cofiring biomass with fossil fuels is emerging as a viable option for promoting the use of low quality renewable biomass fuels including energy crops. In the current work, dairy biomass (DB) is evaluated as a cofiring fuel with coal in a small scale 29 kW_t boiler burner facility. Two types of coal (Texas lignite, TXL and Wyoming Powder River Basin coal, WYO) and two forms of partially composted DB fuels were investigated (low ash separated solids LA-PC-SepSol-DB and high ash soil surface HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB). Proximate and ultimate analyses performed on both coals and both DBs reveal the following: higher heating value (HHV) of 28,460–29,590 kJ/kg for dry ash free (DAF) coals and 21,450 kJ/kg for DB; nitrogen loading of 0.36 and 0.48 kg/GJ for WYO and TXL, respectively and 1.50 and 2.67 kg/GJ for the LA-PC-SepSol-DB and the HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB respectively; sulfur loading of 0.15 and 0.42 kg/GJ WYO and TXL, respectively and 0.33 and 0.43 kg/GJ for the LA-PC-SepSol-DB and the HA-PC-SoilSurf-DB respectively; ash loading from 3.10 to 8.02 kg/GJ for the coals and from 11.57 to 139 kg/GJ for the DB fuels.     

Prediction for the burnout of pulverized coal in a coal-fired power plant by combining proximate analysis,coal petrography,and pulverized-coal size distribution

Highly changeable coal quality, low combustion efficiency, and huge consumption of coal are the three common problems facing most of China’s coal-fired power plants. Proper prediction for the coal burnout in power boilers has important economic and environmental significance. By combining critical factors in proximate analysis, coal petrography, and the size distribution of pulverized coal, this article aims to propose a comprehensive method to predict the burnout of pulverized coal in power boilers. Results show that: (a) volatile content and calorific value are the two most important factors in proximate analysis, (b) the most important factors in coal petrography are the relative content of reactive and unreactive macerals and the mean and standard deviation of vitrinite reflectance, and (c) the 90–200-μm-size fraction is a particularly important factor in the size distribution of pulverized coal. Compared with any parameters or indices based on one of the three aspects in proximate analysis, coal petrography, and pulverized-coal size distribution, the synthetic index into which these critical factors are combined has a better significant correlation with coal burnout.     

Distinctive features of coal reconversion in the European Union

The phenomenon of industrial rationalization is part of our economic reality. The several rhythms of economic growth, besides the changes in the dynamic of the markets, the endowment of productive factors and the technological change, have made their study a complex task, in which there are elements to keep in mind and numerous points of view that could be adopted. Coal in Europe is in a particularly delicate situation. After more than three decades of restructuring and modernisation, the coal industry is still not competitive, when compared with world market prices, and the social situation of coal workers and coal communities is hard. The importance of these processes and their effects on the economic and social development in areas or regions in which the coal industry affects their whole activity, in our opinion, justifies our interest in deepening the knowledge of the complex reality of coal rationalization. Our objective is to offer an overall impression of the coal sector in the European Union as well as the main instruments for economic and social regeneration in the coal regions.     

Historical costs of coal-fired electricity and implications for the future

We study the cost of coal-fired electricity in the United States between 1882 and 2006 by decomposing it in terms of the price of coal, transportation cost, energy density, thermal efficiency, plant construction cost, interest rate, capacity factor, and operations and maintenance cost. The dominant determinants of cost have been the price of coal and plant construction cost. The price of coal appears to fluctuate more or less randomly while the construction cost follows long-term trends, decreasing from 1902 to 1970, increasing from 1970 to 1990, and leveling off since then. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of using long time series and comparing electricity generation technologies using decomposed total costs, rather than costs of single components like capital. By taking this approach we find that the history of coal-fired electricity suggests there is a fluctuating floor to its future costs, which is determined by coal prices. Even if construction costs resumed a decreasing trend, the cost of coal-based electricity would drop for a while but eventually be determined by the price of coal, which fluctuates while showing no long-term trend.